I refer to page 67 of the programme for Government, which refers to "Ensuring Support in Crisis" in mental health care. Today, the psychiatric nurses in University Hospital Waterford are taking industrial action. Psychiatric nurses in St. Luke's, Kilkenny are escalating their industrial action. The staff are demoralised, stressed and overstretched because of understaffing and the very poor facilities in the south east for those with acute mental health issues. County Wexford, with a population of 160,000, has no acute unit. When will the Government take this issue seriously and address both the staffing issue and the inefficient and insufficient numbers of beds in the south east for people suffering from mental health difficulties?

I am advised by the Department of Health that these are local disputes, which centre mainly on issues around staffing, the development of a bed management protocol and other measures to help staff dealing with pressures on the service. Phase 1 of this action commenced this morning with members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, PNA, refusing to answer phones, send faxes, open doors or use their own transport for the redeployment of staff. Local Health Service Executive, HSE, management is committed to resolving the issues raised by the PNA members in Waterford and management and staff are scheduled to meet again this afternoon. Recruitment processes are under way to fill 12 vacant posts and a further 13 posts will be filled through agency conversion. Needless to say, if it is not possible to resolve the dispute at a local level, it will be possible to refer it to the Workplace Relations Commission at that point.